Taiwan Brand Builders Add Hollywood's Glitz

HTC, Acer Hire Celebrity Endorsers to Outshine Asian Rivals

TAIPEI—Taiwan has long built consumer gadgets for some of the world's biggest technology companies ranging from Apple Inc. to Sony Corp., but it has found it tougher to build brands.

In recent months Taiwan's two largest consumer brands, HTC Corp. and Acer Inc., have redoubled efforts to raise their overseas profile—in the process, shelling out for endorsements from American celebrities such as Megan Fox and Robert Downey Jr.